Monthly Archives: November 2015

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BALDWIN PARK >> A suicidal man perched on the newly-completed transition road bridge between the 605 and 10 Freeway in Baldwin Park Sunday afternoon, shutting down traffic as authorities worked to reason with him, officials said.
The incident began shortly before 4 p.m. on the elevated transition road connecting the southbound 605 Freeway to the eastbound 10 Freeway, according to California Highway Patrol blogs.
Firefighters set up an air cushion beneath the bridge and summoned crisis negotiators to the scene, officials said.
Authorities ultimately managed to take the distraught man into custody just before 5 p.m., CHP Officer Tony Bishop said.
Officials were preparing to reopen affected traffic lanes.

WEST WHITTIER >> Deputies checking on an abandoned car found the body of a woman stuffed into a container in the rear cargo compartment of a car Sunday afternoon, authorities said.
The discovery took place about 1:10 p.m. in the 8600 block of Bradwell Avenue, just north of Rivera Road in the unincorporated county area of West Whittier, Sgt. Bob Boese of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Information Bureau said in a written statement.
Deputies responded to a report of a car that had been abandoned on the street, Deputy Juanita Navarro-Suarez of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau said.
“The deputies approached the vehicle — a red, 1991 Toyota Celica Hatchback — and smelled a very strong odor indicative of decomposition,” she said.
Upon closer inspection, they discovered the victim’s body in the car’s rear cargo area.
“The victim, who appears to be between the ages of 20 and 25, was entombed in a large container,” Navarro-Suarez said.
The woman’s identity and cause of death were not yet determined, officials said.
No further details were released.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

MONTEBELLO >> Police Sunday announced that detectives have arrested one suspect and are seeking another in connection with the slaying of a man in a Montebello parking lot last week.
Detectives arrested Martin Emmannuel Bautista, 33, of Pico Rivera Wednesday on suspicion of murder in connection with the Nov. 23 slaying, Montebello police officials announced Sunday. Alleged accomplice Eric Daniel Deleon, 28, of Pico Rivera, remained at large.
“It is believed Deleon is being assisted by acquaintances to avoid being located,” Montebello police Sgt. Julio Calleros said in a written statement.
The body of the victim, described as a man in his 50s, was discovered shortly after noon in the 300 block of South Vail Avenue, Montebello police Sgt. Larry Jackson said.
His name remained withheld over the weekend as authorities continued working to notify his family, coroner’s officials said. The man’s cause of death also remained unknown pending an autopsy.
Officials have said it appeared two men assaulted the victim, though the nature of his injuries have not been disclosed. Police distributed sketches of two possible suspects the day after the killing.
Police arrested Bautista on suspicion of the slaying about 9 p.m. Wednesday, Los Angeles County booking records show. Further details regarding the circumstances of his arrest or his alleged role in the slaying were not released.
Deleon is described as Latino, 5 feet 6 inches tall, 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Montebello police Detective C. Adams at 323-887-01313, ext. 256 or Detective R. Zabala at 323-887-1313, ext. 254. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers by calling 800-222-8477.
Bautista is scheduled to appear Tuesday at an arraignment hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court, records show. He was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.
PHOTOS courtesy of the Montebello Police Department.

PASADENA >> A man described by police as an innocent bystander was recovering at a hospital Sunday after being wounded by gunfire intended for someone else, officials said.
The shooting took place about 8:10 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Orange Grove Boulevard, near Summit Avenue, according to Pasadena police Lt. John Mercado.
Police received several calls reporting gunshots in the area before discovering the victim, a Pasadena man in his 50s, lying wounded on the sidewalk lining the south side of Orange Grove Boulevard, he said. The wounded man was taken to a hospital with a gunshot wound to his abdomen and listed in stable condition.
“The investigation revealed that the victim was not the intended target of the shooting,” Mercado said. “Two to three other men were likely the intended targets.”
The suspected intended victims of the shooting were not found, Mercado said. But officers recovered 9mm bullet casings at the scene.
“The reason for shooting unknown at this time,” Mercado added.

PASADENA >> The quick thinking of a concerned father coupled with the fast reflexes of Pasadena police officers saved the life of a suicidal young woman who tried to jump from the Colorado Street Bridge Saturday, but was snatched by rescuers as she fell, authorities said.
The harrowing rescue unfolded about 1 p.m., Pasadena Police Lt. John Mercado said.
The woman’s father called police about 10 a.m. to report she had been depressed and left home about 4 a.m. without telling anyone where she was headed, Mercado said.
“In the past she had talked about jumping off the Colorado Street Bridge,” he said. “(The father) checked her credit card purchases online and saw that she had made a purchase at a Starbucks coffee shop in Pasadena.” That’s when he called Pasadena police and asked them to check the iconic 140-foot-tall bridge spanning the Arroyo Seco.
“We found her sitting on the outer ledge. We talked to her for about two hours,” Mercado said.
As Officer M. Baffigo and Officer M. Armendariz tried to persuade the woman to return to safety through vertical openings in a cement wall lining the bridge, she turned around to face them.
“She leaned back and let go,” Mercado said. “Our officers were there talking to her and were able to reach out and grab her arms. They held her as the rest of her body fell off the ledge.”
Firefighters, who were already on-scene, rushed into action, he said.
They secured the woman and removed a portion of the metal bridge fencing to pull the woman back onto the bridge, Pasadena Fire Department officials said.
The woman was physically unharmed and taken for psychiatric evaluation.
“Our search and rescue team specializes and trains in these types of rescues hoping we never have to use it,” Pasadena Fire Department spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said. “Unfortunately we see this situation too often. But Thanksgiving holiday has new meaning for police and fire knowing they were able to make a difference for a very concerned family.”
Authorities encourage those feeling hopeless or thinking of harming themselves to reach out for available help, such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

COMPTON >> The muffled cries of a newborn baby girl led deputies to discover the infant buried alive beneath asphalt and other debris along a Compton bike path Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The infant was believed to be 36 to 48 hours old when she was discovered about 4 p.m., buried under debris in a crevice alongside a bike path lining a riverbed near 136th Street and Slater Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials said in a written statement. She was ultimately hospitalized in stable condition.
Deputies received reports of a baby’s cries being heard emanating from the riverbed, according to Sgt. Marvin Jaramilla of the sheriff’s Special Victims Bureau.
While searching the area, “deputies heard a baby’s muffled cry and located a
newborn baby girl buried alive under pieces of asphalt and rubble inside a crevice located along the bike path,” Jaramilla said. “Deputies removed the pieces of asphalt and debris and rescued the baby from the crevice.”
The girl was wrapped in a blanket and cold to the touch, he said. After being treated by Compton Fire Department paramedics, she was taken to a hospital where she remained under observation Saturday.
Detectives ask anyone with information regarding the abandonment to contact the Special Victims Bureau at 877-710-5273. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 80222-8477.
Authorities reminded the public of the county’s “Safe Surrender” program, under which newborn babies showing no signs of abuse may be dropped off at hospitals and fire stations with no questions asked within 72 hours of birth. For more information, visit www.babysafela.org.

PASADENA >> Police arrested two convicted felons from Mission Hills in connection with a Pasadena auto burglary early Saturday and seized a loaded handgun from their car, officials said.
Officers conducting a “directed patrol” aimed at suppressing burglaries about 4:50 a.m. spotted a parked car that had been broken into at Colorado and San Gabriel boulevards, Pasadena police Lt. John Mercado said.
The also saw another car driving in the immediate area and pulled it over, suspecting it may have been related to the break-in, he said.
Both the driver, Cornelio Felix, 33, and passenger, Giovanni Prado, 21, were wearing gloves, Mercado said. Police soon discovered that Felix was an ex-convict, and Prado was on Post-Release Community Supervision following a robbery conviction under California’s AB 109 guidelines, which allows “non-violent, non-serious and non-sex offenders” to be dealt with by county jails and probation agencies, rather than state prisons and parole agents.
Mercado said police found a loaded handgun under the passenger seat of suspects’ car, along with burglary tools in the back.
Felix and Prado were both booked on suspicion of burglary, Mercado said. Prado was additionally accused of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to county booking records, Felix and Prado were released from custody later in the morning pending their initial court appearances after posting $20,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively.

GLENDORA >> Police arrested a woman and a teenage boy after finding them with stolen SUV in a Glendora neighborhood Friday afternoon, officials said.
Sureilyn Rodriguez, 20, and a teenage boy were arrested on suspicion of auto theft, Glendora police Lt. Scott Strong said.
A resident of the 1200 block of Swain Street called police about 5 p.m. to reports two suspicious people loitering near a Chevrolet Suburban, the lieutenant said.
The teenage boy ran as officers approached, but was quickly apprehended nearby, Strong said. Rodriguez remained with the stolen SUV and was arrested without a struggle.
Officers soon determined the Suburban had been reported stolen out of Baldwin Park, he said.

IRWINDALE >> Coroner’s officials have released the identity of a Duarte man found dead inside a bullet-riddled car along Foothill Boulevard in Irwindale Wednesday morning.
Martin Diaz, 48, was found fatally shot about 5:40 a.m. in the 15900 block of Foothill Boulevard, Los Angeles Count Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner officials said.
He was believed to have been driving east on Foothill Boulevard when he was shot by an unknown assailant, who remains at large, Lt. Joe Mendoza of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said. But it was unclear exactly what time the shooting took place.
No further information regarding the circumstances or motive in the shooting were available.
Anyone with information was asked to contact the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Tips may also be submitted anonymously to L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.

NORWALK >> A gunman fled with an armful of cigarette cartons after holding up a Norwalk tobacco shop Friday, officials said.
The crime took place about 11:20 p.m. at Cigarette Mart in the Norwalk Town Square, at Pioneer Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Eric Smitson said.
A man entered the store and began arguing with the clerk, Smitson said.
He then brandished a handgun before fleeing with several cartons of cigarettes, the lieutenant said. He was last seen running west on Van Ruiten Street.
A detailed suspect description was not available.

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